As for the finish, is it mostly there, but crazed? Or are we talking about a radio that saw more time out in the barn? If the finish is just crazed, wiping it down to remove any trace of wax with a product like PPG's DX330, and then following that up with a lacquer reducer to reconstitute the finish, may be the only thing that really needs to be done. The piece has to be really clean at the outset though.
If the finish needs more than just a little attention, if you are patient, your own worst critic, and you have a good stock of dental picks and scrapers to get into every nook and cranny, You can do an admirable job of refinishing if you stick to lacquer, or an alkyd (oil) based spar varnish. I have looked at too many examples of bad finishing to even suggest letting someone else do the work.
Before you strip the cabinet, or decide upon refinishing, go to several antique stores, meets, etc, and look at the finish on the furniture that is obviously refinished- it is easy to spot- 1) they used oil only, and anything like oak will have very uneven endgrain finish (not original- originals always had all pores in the end grain and visible cuts filled) 2) The finish looks like they poured plastic over the cabinet (this is because they used a Eurethane varnish- the worst possible thing to use on anything with age. This is because you are applying a layer of plastic that is hard to remove, has far more luster than it should, and often is quickly applied with no attention to detail). 3) Messy detail (this is the most prevalent- fine pressings in wood are not cleaned of the old finish very well, and will often show uneven tinting. Often you will find uneven staining of the wood, remnant water stains, poorly masked repairs, etc on the large panels too, but not as often. Use these examples as mistakes to avoid, and take the time to avoid them, or correct them. It takes little time to recognize a poorly done piece.
If you are going to do the finishing work yourself, on anything larger than a midget cabinet, spray it. Get a decent spray gun, they are worth the expense, especially if you plan to do any amount of finishing work, or if you take pride in doing it right the first time. If you brush anything of any size, the best results I have had were still with Lacquer, but both the lacquer, the piece I was working on, and the area where I was working were all below freezing- this gives lacquer a chance to level itself from where it was brushed.
If you need to even out tones, you can use Tung, or Linseed oil first, then use a tinted oil such as Watco, or the "Deftoil" clone. Raw pigments even work well.
Let the oil dry for a week, and then start applying thin coats of lacquer. If you get any sags, dust, or some other imperfection, sand it down with 400 grit paper. The last coat you can apply with "some" thickness so that you can sand the finish if needed.
Never use steel wool- regardless of what other refinishers may say, you will scratch into the surface too far. It is easier to use the fine grades of automotive refinishing papers, and rubbing compounds. Use the rubbing compounds minimally- they make the finish too shiny.
Often, the finish will have just the right amount of "sheen" if you sand with 600 grit paper, and then use the paste wax that "Johnson's" markets for general woodworking.
This may sound like a lot of work, and in some ways it is, but most of the errors I see are from people not taking the needed time to do it well the first time through.
There are a lot of people out there who insist on refinishing everything to match what the contemporary color tones are, (usually to sell something to people who don't care for anything other than it merely being an "old radio" that could just as well be a transistor radio tucked into an old radio cabinet) and that destroys collector value. There are also people who insist on refinishing everything because a "shiny radio" sells well (to people who may not know better, or who may not care)- The High gloss eurethanes are the worst, usually a satin, or a semi-gloss finish is most accurate.
If you are looking to get maximum value from least work- leave it as it is. If you want to make it look right, take the time to do it right, and do it nicely the first time. I have seen some people do some really wonderful work, and the real key was correct materials, and patience.
I don't mean to get onto a soapbox about this, but I see too many people grab a brush and a can of varnish before they talk to a collector, or consider the possible rarity of a unit if left alone.
: I just purchased a Philco 37-600 at a Scott Antique Show. It is nice and complete, but the finish on the wood case is really rough - especially the vanish. Electrically, it is great. Two questions: (1) Do I assume that the Model 37-600 means the year 1937? (2) Do I dare try to refinish the case myself, or does this destroy the antique value?
Allen
: Hi,
: Yes, you have deciphered Philco's numbering.
: As for the finish, is it mostly there, but crazed? Or are we talking about a radio that saw more time out in the barn? If the finish is just crazed, wiping it down to remove any trace of wax with a product like PPG's DX330, and then following that up with a lacquer reducer to reconstitute the finish, may be the only thing that really needs to be done. The piece has to be really clean at the outset though.
: If the finish needs more than just a little attention, if you are patient, your own worst critic, and you have a good stock of dental picks and scrapers to get into every nook and cranny, You can do an admirable job of refinishing if you stick to lacquer, or an alkyd (oil) based spar varnish. I have looked at too many examples of bad finishing to even suggest letting someone else do the work.
: Before you strip the cabinet, or decide upon refinishing, go to several antique stores, meets, etc, and look at the finish on the furniture that is obviously refinished- it is easy to spot- 1) they used oil only, and anything like oak will have very uneven endgrain finish (not original- originals always had all pores in the end grain and visible cuts filled) 2) The finish looks like they poured plastic over the cabinet (this is because they used a Eurethane varnish- the worst possible thing to use on anything with age. This is because you are applying a layer of plastic that is hard to remove, has far more luster than it should, and often is quickly applied with no attention to detail). 3) Messy detail (this is the most prevalent- fine pressings in wood are not cleaned of the old finish very well, and will often show uneven tinting. Often you will find uneven staining of the wood, remnant water stains, poorly masked repairs, etc on the large panels too, but not as often. Use these examples as mistakes to avoid, and take the time to avoid them, or correct them. It takes little time to recognize a poorly done piece.
: If you are going to do the finishing work yourself, on anything larger than a midget cabinet, spray it. Get a decent spray gun, they are worth the expense, especially if you plan to do any amount of finishing work, or if you take pride in doing it right the first time. If you brush anything of any size, the best results I have had were still with Lacquer, but both the lacquer, the piece I was working on, and the area where I was working were all below freezing- this gives lacquer a chance to level itself from where it was brushed.
: If you need to even out tones, you can use Tung, or Linseed oil first, then use a tinted oil such as Watco, or the "Deftoil" clone. Raw pigments even work well.
: Let the oil dry for a week, and then start applying thin coats of lacquer. If you get any sags, dust, or some other imperfection, sand it down with 400 grit paper. The last coat you can apply with "some" thickness so that you can sand the finish if needed.
: Never use steel wool- regardless of what other refinishers may say, you will scratch into the surface too far. It is easier to use the fine grades of automotive refinishing papers, and rubbing compounds. Use the rubbing compounds minimally- they make the finish too shiny.
: Often, the finish will have just the right amount of "sheen" if you sand with 600 grit paper, and then use the paste wax that "Johnson's" markets for general woodworking.
: This may sound like a lot of work, and in some ways it is, but most of the errors I see are from people not taking the needed time to do it well the first time through.
: There are a lot of people out there who insist on refinishing everything to match what the contemporary color tones are, (usually to sell something to people who don't care for anything other than it merely being an "old radio" that could just as well be a transistor radio tucked into an old radio cabinet) and that destroys collector value. There are also people who insist on refinishing everything because a "shiny radio" sells well (to people who may not know better, or who may not care)- The High gloss eurethanes are the worst, usually a satin, or a semi-gloss finish is most accurate.
: If you are looking to get maximum value from least work- leave it as it is. If you want to make it look right, take the time to do it right, and do it nicely the first time. I have seen some people do some really wonderful work, and the real key was correct materials, and patience.
:
: I don't mean to get onto a soapbox about this, but I see too many people grab a brush and a can of varnish before they talk to a collector, or consider the possible rarity of a unit if left alone.
: : I just purchased a Philco 37-600 at a Scott Antique Show. It is nice and complete, but the finish on the wood case is really rough - especially the vanish. Electrically, it is great. Two questions: (1) Do I assume that the Model 37-600 means the year 1937? (2) Do I dare try to refinish the case myself, or does this destroy the antique value?